Paul Zywicki and Lester Tryba grilled dolphin fish (a.k.a. mahi-mahi) when the Miami Dolphins visited. They barbecued game bird (a.k.a. pheasant) when the Seattle Seahawks were in town. And when the Indianapolis Colts ventured to Soldier Field?
Well, the longtime buddies don’t remember what they cooked during that game, but they assure us it wasn’t horse steak.
It’s all for the enhancement of the tailgater for Zywicki and Tryba, who have performed the pregame ritual together for about 15 years.
“The atmosphere is awesome, just being there around people and the smell of the grills,” said Tryba, 43, of Galewood/Montclare.
For Zywicki and Tryba and thousands of Bears fans like them, pregame tailgating in the parking lots surrounding Soldier Field is a tradition of football chatter, bags tournaments and — perhaps most importantly — game-day cuisine. With the Bears playing their home opener Sunday against the defending Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers, Chicago’s tailgating devotees are breaking out the mini-barbecues and lawn chairs for another delicious NFL season.
Before the Bears’ final preseason game earlier this month, thousands of revelers crammed into the parking lots hours before kickoff. With the trunks of their cars open, fans mingled between tailgates as meat sizzled on the grills and footballs whizzed through the air.
Relaxing in a lot south of Soldier Field, Zywicki and Tryba worked their way up to regular-season cuisine with cheeseburgers on the grill. They’ve saved their more traditional fare — chicken, grilled mushrooms and bratwurst — for Sunday’s home opener.
The pair always bring a little extra to share with their fellow tailgaters, said Zywicki, 41, of Des Plaines.
And when the weather turns cold, the grill has an added benefit.
“We just drink more and eat more and keep telling ourselves the cold is in our minds,” Zywicki said. “We refuse to admit we’re cold.”
Tailgating at Soldier Field can have the vibe of a weekend picnic in the park, but there are some restrictions. Fans are allowed in surface lots up to four hours before and two hours after games. And tailgaters without tickets to the game must leave the parking lots at kickoff — though they can return after the game.
For some hungry fans, the food is so enticing, they don’t even wait for the final whistle to get back to the parking lot.
Brandon Burrack, 33, of Mount Prospect said it takes him a week and about $140 in groceries to prepare for a home game, so he willingly leaves games in the fourth quarter to prepare the pregame pork tenderloin and sausage leftovers for his friends.
“It seems like you can never have enough food,” Burrack said.
But tailgating food doesn’t have to be complex to be tasty, said Chicago chef Julius Russell, host of “Big Ten Cookout,” a gourmet guide to tailgating that airs Saturday mornings on the Big Ten Network.
Russell said an ingredient as simple as lemon juice can perk up a pregame dish.
“Let’s slice the lemon, get it charred and then squeeze it over the fish they’re cooking at the very end,” said Russell, owner of A Tale of Two Chefs, a private chef and catering business. “It’ll bring a whole new flavor profile.”
He recommends staying away from meats that are high-maintenance on the grill, such as duck. Instead, Russell suggests hearty proteins that cook for long periods of time and don’t require so much attention.
Byrne McAuliffe, 27, of Palatine keeps his tailgater menu simple, with items such as kebabs, burgers and corn.
He said in five years of Soldier Field tailgating, there are two important lessons he’s learned: Make sure the propane tank is full and don’t forget the grilling tongs.
Oh, and he has one more crucial bit of advice: “Don’t run out of beer.”
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Take your tailgating upscale
Looking to take your next tailgater beyond brats and beer? RedEye asked three local chefs to share a favorite pregame recipe — and they all had beef on the brain. Here is a guide to some mouth-watering game-day cuisine courtesy of Julius Russell, host of Big Ten Network’s “Big Ten Cookout” and owner of private chef and catering business A Tale of Two Chefs; Giuseppe Tentori, executive chef of Boka Restaurant; and Joey Morelli, chef-owner of Joey’s Brickhouse. C.S.
Kobe sliders
Tentori had the choice between going on an African safari and attending Super Bowl XLI to see the Bears. He picked the game.
Ingredients
5 pounds ground Kobe beef
1/2 pound shallots (minced)
4 ounces truffle (minced)
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Sweat minced shallots
Add minced truffle
Cook until dry and let cool
Mix Kobe beef and truffle mixture
Season with salt and black pepper
Form sliders into 1 1/2-ounce patties
Grill and top off with 1-ounce slider buns
Grilled hangar steak tacos
Russell (above) describes this dish (right) as the perfect blend between quesadillas and traditional tacos.
Ingredients
1 pound hangar or skirt steak
12 mini corn tortillas
2 limes cut into eighths
1/2 bunch cilantro (chopped)
1/2 cup shredded Chihuahua cheese
Extra virgin olive oil
4 tablespoons steak seasoning
Directions
Oil and season the steak on both sides
Place onto a hot grill, 3 to 5 minutes per side
Remove from grill and allow to cool for 10 minutes
Slice on a bias in 1/8-sized pieces
Spray tortillas with small amount of oil, place oiled side down on medium-heat grill and sprinkle on small amount of cheese
Place another tortilla on top and spray with oil
As cheese melts, flip and cook for 1 minute
Remove from grill and fill with steak
Top with cilantro and squeeze on lime
One-pound stuffed burger
Morelli recommends sprinkling wood chips on the grill before cooking this dish.
Ingredients
5 pounds ground beef
1 cup crispy bacon
2 cups brie
1 cup jardiniere
1 sunny side up egg for each burger
1/2 cup mayonnaise
Salt, pepper and dry rub to taste
Directions
Grind meat in cold metal bowl
Make two 8-ounce patties into bowl shapes
Season meat inside and out
Place bacon, brie, mayo and jardiniere into one meat bowl and put other 8-ounce meat bowl on top
Crimp sides together with wet fingers until the seam disappears
Refrigerate a few hours to let flavors mingle
Grill 5 to 8 minutes on each side, then cut in half
Cover halved burger, put on low heat side of grill and let the insides cook 3 to 5 more minutes
Saute egg to your liking and place on burger
Put it all on a hefty bun
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Tools of the trade
Tailgating can be as simple as bringing sandwiches and sodas to the stadium — but complex is a lot more fun! Here are a handful of items that will spruce up any parking lot pregame party.
— C.S.
Chicago Bears Tailgate Toss
$99.99 at tailgatetoss.com
What’s a tailgater at Soldier Field without a friendly game of bags? Even better, this one comes customized for Bears fans!
Cruzin’ Cooler
$169-$499.99 at cabelas.com
This wheeled cooler moonlights as a scooter and comes in a variety of sizes.
Charcoal Tailgating Grill
$109 at walmart.com
This grill attaches to most truck hitches and can be converted to a tabletop barrel grill. Hot dogs on the go!
Folding Tailgate Buffet Table
$30 at shopbiglots.com
You’re going to need a table to spread out your grub. This is a tailgater, not a picnic on the grass.
4-Piece BBQ Tool Set
$59.95 at brookstone.com
Keeping all of your grilling essentials together means they’re more likely to make it back home with you.
SunShade Chair
$39.99 at coleman.com
A canopy tops off this ultimate tailgating chair — good for protection from the sun or the snow.
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CHELSEA SCHNEIDER IS A REDEYE SPECIAL CONTRIBUTOR.
